The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia semperflorens, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Gum Drop Whitexe2x80x99.
The new Begonia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Begonia cultivars with double flowers and attractive leaf and flower coloration.
The new Begonia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1995, of the Begonia semperflorens cultivar Double Pink, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with the Begonia semperflorens cultivar Ambassador White, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The cultivar Gum Drop White was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan.
Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia by cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan since 1999 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar xe2x80x98Gum Drop Whitexe2x80x99 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Gum Drop Whitexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Gum Drop Whitexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Begonia cultivar.
1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit, dense and bushy growth habit.
3. Green-colored leaves.
4. Freely flowering habit, numerous flowers per plant.
5. Small mostly double flowers that are white in color and held above and beyond the foliage.
Plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Double Pink, in leaf and flower coloration as plants of the cultivar Double Pink have bronze-colored leaves and pink-colored flowers. Plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Ambassador White, in flower form as plants of the cultivar Ambassador White have single flowers.
The new Begonia can be compared to the Begonia semperflorens cultivar Queen White, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan, plants of the new Begonia differed from plants of the cultivar Queen White in the following characteristics.
1. Plants of the new Begonia had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Queen White.
2. Plants of the new Begonia had smaller flowers than plants of the cultivar Queen White.
3. Flowers of plants of the new Begonia were more often double than plants of the cultivar Queen White.
4. Flowers of plants of the new Begonia did not produce pollen whereas flowers of plants of the cultivar Queen White produced pollen.